Happy Friday:
Depart from me you evildoers. I never knew you.
Jesus, Matthew 7
I find the words Jesus directed to those who called him “Lord, Lord” – which suggests they considered themselves His followers and friends – to be among the most terrifying in the Bible. Why? Though He calls them “evildoers,” He does not challenge their claim to have done good things in His name. Which not only suggests they did do “good things,” it also suggests how easily we are spiritually deluded. As much as we may talk about grace, we remain impressed by our works. Alas, according to Jesus, there are no impressive people doing impressive things. There are just the humble and the proud, and He favors the first while opposing the second. Lord have mercy on me, a sinner.
Disclaimer: He has not asked, but I am suggesting that our Heavenly Father periodically remind everyone that the views expressed by His followers do not necessarily reflect those of the management.
Prayer Concerns: This past week I have been grieved by the challenges faced by friends – in India, where the dramatic COVID spike has overwhelmed the healthcare system; in Turkey and Belarus, where self-important thugs are oppressing millions; and in Africa, where millions who recently rose out of poverty have fallen back in. Closer to home, the announcements about President Biden completing his first 100 days convicted me. I am not praying for him anywhere near as much as I should.
Quotes Worth Requoting: 1) My life is going to tell a story whether I want it to or not. It’s going to tell a story that says, “this is what a follower of Jesus is, this is what he or she is interested in, this is what he or she believes and trusts, this is what he or she thinks is important.” Charlie Peacock; 2) We live in an age of strong opinions, weakly formed. Carey Nieuwhof.
Question of the Week: What if this past year – with all the challenges it has brought – is not the new normal, but as good and easy as it will be for the rest of my life?
A Challenge: In their book, The Blessing, John Trent and Gary Smalley note: 1) The Hebrew word for bless suggests adding coins to a scale – i.e., adding value to someone else’s life; and 2) It’s a big deal. The word blessing comes up a lot in the Bible, and various people (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, et al.) focus considerable time and attention on who is blessing who. So…. who might you bless today? Get busy placing some metaphorical coins on their scale.
Without Comment: 1) On 4/15/2021, 1.49 million travelers went through TSA screening at airports. This number is up from 95,085 on 4/15/2020 but down from 2.62M on 4/15/2019; 2) The NYT recently reported that “in keeping with a national trend,” the Manhattan District Attorney will no longer prosecute prostitution.
Haunted: Last week I cited a New Yorker piece on light pollution’s impact on the night sky. I remain haunted by a line found in the piece. It is a comment made by David Crawford, who laments that 21st century Americans are those “who spend their day and night sitting in a box staring at a box.”
Preach What You Practice: UVA Sociologist Brad Wilcox makes a secular case for marriage during this interview with National Review editor Jonah Goldberg. Among several interesting points Wilcox makes, is his observation that many on the left live far more traditionally than they suggest others should.
Closing Prayer: Grant me, I beg you, almighty and merciful God, fervently to desire, wisely to search out, truly to acknowledge, and perfectly to fulfill, all that is well-pleasing to you. Order my worldly condition to the honor and glory of your name; and of all that you require me to do, grant me the knowledge, the desire, and the ability, that I may so fulfill it as I ought, and as is expedient for the welfare of my soul. Amen. (Thomas Aquinas – 1225-1274)